Lethal Savage Read online

  Title Page

  Lethal

  Savage

  a Peter Savage novel

  Dave Edlund

  Durham, NC

  Praise for The

  Peter Savage Novels

  “I would follow Peter Savage into any firefight.”

  –James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Demon Crown

  “Edlund is right at home with his bestselling brethren,

  Brad Thor and Brad Taylor.”

  –Jon Land, USA Today bestselling author of the Caitlin Strong series

  “a near-perfect international thriller.”

  –Foreword Reviews

  Praise for Guarding Savage

  “plenty of heart-racing action”

  –San Francisco Book Review

  “With a hero full of grit and determination, this action-packed, timely tale is required reading

  for any thriller aficionado.”

  –Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author,

  Praise for Hunting Savage

  “Crackling action, brisk pace, timely topic…”

  –Kirkus Reviews

  Praise for Deadly Savage

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2019, by Dave Edlund

  Lethal Savage (Peter Savage, #6)

  Dave Edlund

  www.petersavagenovels.com

  [email protected]

  Published 2019, by Light Messages

  www.lightmessages.com

  Durham, NC 27713

  SAN: 920-9298

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1-61153-313-2

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61153-314-9

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2019904550

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 International Copyright Act, without the prior written permission except in brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Praise for The Peter Savage Novels

  Copyright

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Author’s Notes

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Epilogue

  Author’s PostScript

  About the Author

  The Peter Savage Series

  Acknowledgments

  Who would have thought that an action/political-thriller series based on a character who lives in a small city in central Oregon, far away from the international centers of political intrigue, a character who is more MacGyver than he is Jason Bourne, would be so popular? My hand is raised, because many years ago this was only a dream. You know, the type of goal you secretly aspire to, but have no idea how to achieve it, or reasonable expectation you could ever achieve it.

  That was me. I still recall sitting on a deck, overlooking East Sound on Orcas Island, with my bride-to-be. With an unlimited future in front of me (because that’s how I thought when I was twenty-something and thirty-something), and a Blaine MacCracken novel by Jon Land open on my lap, I arrogantly began to daydream about how much fun it would be to create thrillers to be published and shared with a large audience.

  Fast forward a number of years (I’d rather not recount how many), and here I am today, with the sixth Peter Savage novel soon to be released, and more on the way.

  I refer to my dream as arrogant—whereas other times I describe it as crazy—because I had no clue about how much work, and from so many different people with special skills, it takes to complete and publish a novel. One thing I am certain of is that without the support and contributions from my publisher, Light Messages, none of my dream would have been realized. It would have remained a pipe dream. Thank you to everyone at Light Messages, especially Betty and Wally, for believing in me, and for your support. These words, simple as they are, cannot truly convey my feelings of appreciation, but I try.

  As any author will admit, editors possess mystical ability to take a manuscript—no matter how well written it may be—and make it so much better. Editors challenge the writer for clarity, continuity, logical flow, thoughtful and reasonable expression, and good entertainment value. They also catch those pesky typos, improper grammar, and incorrect punctuation that authors are always placing, sometimes haphazardly, into their manuscript as if a challenge to the editor. I have been blessed with a truly marvelous editor, Elizabeth. And so again, I offer my humble appreciation for her work that makes my work much better than when it left my desk. Thank you, Elizabeth, for your insightful help, for always challenging me to do better, and for believing in me. And I also want to acknowledge and thank Meghan Bowker for her proof editing. She has an eye for detail and uncanny ability to sort out all the typos that I (with the help of auto correct) manage to sprinkle through the manuscript. Finally, I want to thank my two good friends, Gary Stout and Bill Shank, for stimulating discussion of the final draft and for finding more of those aforementioned typos.

  My publicist, Rebecca, has been super. From eye-catching graphics to reaching out to media (social and traditional), bookstores, and prominent people in the community, I am so grateful for all the help she has generously given. Thank you Becca.

  The thriller-author community has been utterly fabulous in their collective support for fellow authors, and for welcoming new authors. Specifically, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the International Thriller Writers (ITW) for welcoming me into your company. The many ways that ITW promotes its members is truly appreciated. Thank you.

  A special shout out is due to Steve Barry, Jon Land, and James Rollins for their generous praise for the Peter Savage novels. These extraordinarily accomplished authors give back so much to the thriller community, be it teaching and mentoring or endorsements for fellow authors. The positive impact of these contributions is impossible to quantify. Gentlemen, thank you very much.

  I also want to acknowledge and thank another giant in the field, the man to whom is attributed the creation of the modern thriller. Yes, I am referring to David Morrell, author of Rambo and many other exquisite novels. Thank you, Mr. Morrell, for your patient advice and tips (especially for recommending
Dreyer’s English).

  As essential as all of the above contributions may be—and yes, essential is the correct word—still none of my dream would be possible without fans who read the latest adventures of Peter Savage and friends. Thank you so much!! (I know, it is poor form to use double exclamation marks, but in this case, it is warranted.) Without an audience to read these novels, there would be no reason to write them. Please continue to share your comments and post reviews on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Goodreads, and other social media sites. And if you want to reach me directly, I’d love to hear from you:

  PeterSavageNovels.com

  [email protected]

  Author’s Notes

  Over the past three decades, concern over global climate change—often labeled global warming—has grown to the point that today, this issue plays a significant role in international politics. It’s already clear that climate change will be fundamental to the primaries leading up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The unifying factor driving the political and social debate is that climate change is believed to be a direct result of man-made emissions of carbon dioxide (a potent greenhouse gas). Without question, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased dramatically since the advent of the industrial age, and with it a rapid increase in the combustion of first coal and later oil.

  Science is all about drawing conclusions from data, and although the daily media and political rancor is dominated by the conclusion that climate change is real and it’s happening now, I’m still eager to see the underlying data (my education and professional experience are in chemistry and chemical engineering).

  Two important questions demand solid answers—is the climate changing in an abnormal fashion, and if so, is the change induced by human activities (anthropomorphic climate change)? Answering these questions is immensely difficult. For example, over the geologic record, we know with certainty that the Earth’s climate has changed multiple times. So, changing climate could be a natural artifact, or it could be an unnatural event tied to industrialization.

  However, some experiments are simply too risky to undertake, and if there is reasonable probability that carbon dioxide emissions cause global warming and rising ocean levels, then it’s likely a good idea to reduce carbon emissions.

  But the foregoing discussion on anthropomorphic climate change misses the big picture. What if climate change is merely a symptom of a more invasive problem? I’m referring to the general impact of human activity on our ecosystem, planet Earth. The oceans are filling with plastics; deforestation has transformed large areas that used to be jungle into farmland; rivers and groundwater are polluted with pesticides, herbicides, and antibiotics; and black soot from flaring gas (associated with oil production) is blanketing the Arctic ice, causing it to melt faster.

  Over the last 2,000 years, global population has risen from about 250 million to about seven billion. Just over the last 200 years, the population has exponentially increased from 1 billion at the beginning of the 19th century. That’s an increase of six billion people inhabiting the planet in only 200 years!

  What are the impacts of these seven billion people on our ecosystem? If human activity is causing damage to the environment (such as global warming), is the root cause really the number of people? If so, what can be done to reduce the population to a sustainable level? This last question is especially troublesome and has deep implications. It is a weighty topic that deserves thought and consideration, but I wouldn’t suggest using this as a conversation starter at your next cocktail party (unless you don’t care about getting invited back).

  This question of human-caused environmental damage is at the core of Lethal Savage. In addition to being entertaining, I hope that the story is also thought-provoking, even just a little. And who knows, if you find yourself at that cocktail party, wanting to start a stimulating discussion on anthropomorphic climate change, you can always use Peter Savage as a segue!

  DE

  Chapter 1

  Eugene, Oregon

  1 year ago

  Darnell Price felt like he was living two lives—one as a successful businessman and the other as an evangelist for the environment. His true passion was reducing the impact of humankind on the Earth. In his mind, the logic was irrefutable—planet Earth had finite resources and, therefore, a finite carrying capacity for the population of all species. If humankind was to continue to grow in number exponentially, we would eventually reach a point where a catastrophic correction was inevitable.

  Perhaps we already had.

  He hadn’t always subscribed to this idea. His education in science and business had instilled mainstream knowledge and reasoning—more a belief, really—that modern technology would solve any and all problems encountered by society and shape the world accordingly for the better. But following a series of tragic, personal losses, his beliefs began to change.

  Science taught that species evolved to adapt or perish; was mankind any different? Evolutionary adaptation was an extremely slow process of biological trial and error, requiring time—thousands of millennia.

  The historical record demonstrated that time and again, species had successfully adapted to radical alterations of the environment. Far from stagnant, the Earth was subject to constant change, although those changes had occurred over eons. But Darnell was convinced this was no longer reality. The global population of humans had increased at an exponential pace over the previous centuries—a mere blink of the eye in geological perspective. And with that explosion of numbers came an unprecedented pace of change in the global environment.

  Governments acted as if they could engineer solutions to disease, climate change, drought and famine. But they ignored the most fundamental reason for human-caused stresses to the environment: the sheer number of people inhabiting the planet.

  Were people living in a state of denial? Was the human race doomed to suffer global disasters? Or would people wake up one morning suddenly realizing that the species had to adapt to a world of limited resources—that all individuals needed to self-regulate their numbers?

  He concluded it was far better to gradually reduce the human population through voluntary measures rather than suffer a sudden correction, whether it be through disease, famine, warfare, or other means. He’d felt the pain of suddenly losing loved ones; vibrant, youthful lives cut short prematurely. He didn’t wish that on anyone.

  He completed typing yet another article and posted it to several social media accounts. In his mid-fifties, he had a stocky build, not overweight but not lean either. He sported a short, graying beard that matched his hair color. His face was round, and he bore a striking resemblance to the actor Lawrence Fishburne.

  Having completed his post, Darnell should have felt good, that he’d accomplished one more, albeit small, step toward changing the course of humanity. But he didn’t.

  Instead, he felt disillusioned. He’d lost count of the number of articles and commentaries he’d posted, always accompanied by a chorus of support from the usual sympathetic minds. But substantial changes never followed. Governments refused to implement serious policies to curb the number of children families could have. Even China had reversed its one-child policy.

  Anthropogenic climate change, encroachment of human development upon unspoiled habitat, endangered species, over-fishing, deforestation—these topics were still the subject of the domestic and global dialog, but the talk always ended without productive action.

  It seemed that nearly everyone agreed we needed to change habits, to consume less, to act more responsibly. But the consensus was that someone else should do so first. The mentality was that there was still time to take corrective actions later. Eventually time would run out.

  How can people be so stupid? he thought with a sigh. His phone rang. The display indicated an unknown number.

  “This is Darnell,” he greeted.

  “Mr. Price. My name is Simon Ming. I run Utopian-Bio. Maybe you’re familiar with u
s? We’re also located in Eugene, so I guess we’re neighbors. Anyway, we haven’t met, but I’m a big fan of your blog.”

  Being a member of the entrepreneurial community in Eugene, Darnell was vaguely familiar with Utopian-Bio. He knew it was a startup company with fewer than one hundred employees. The company mostly conducted research in molecular biology and genetic engineering. Rumor had it that funding came from private sources, and many speculated that the founder, a wealthy and mysterious molecular biologist by the name of Simon Ming, was the sole source of capital. It was further said that Ming was a genius, specializing in genetic engineering using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing process. Exactly what goal Utopian-Bio was working toward was the subject of yet more speculation. The entire corporate operations were heavily veiled in secrecy: a perk of being privately held.

  Darnell was surprised. “You’ve read my postings on population control?”

  “Yes, I find your arguments compelling.”

  “Well, unless enough people begin to pay attention and take action, it really doesn’t matter what I write.”

  “Perhaps,” Ming said, his tone suggesting he was holding something back.

  “I keep trying to catalyze action, but no one really seems to care. The politicians say the right things but do nothing.”

  “What you are advocating makes sense. It’s only logical.”

  “To you and me, but those who are actually in a position to make a difference don’t act as if they really understand. You see, whether we are concerned about plastic nanoparticles polluting the oceans, or greenhouse gases altering weather patterns, or antibiotics polluting our water supplies—all are tied to a common root cause.”

  “You’re referring to human population.”

  “Of course,” Darnell said with exasperation. “I mean, sure, we need to recycle and conserve resources, especially when it comes to using energy. But that’s only a Band-Aid. These efforts don’t address the fundamental cause. It should be obvious even to a politician that if they want to reduce the impact of human-caused climate change, the most direct route is to limit the number of people.”